Name
Health Team
Job title
Our team is made up of;
Allison Da Silva – Manager Health Programs
Amanda Burke – Senior Advisor Health Programs
Mostapha Kourouche – Advisor Health Programs
Chris Charman – Advisor Health Programs
Elle Carroll – Occupational Nurse
Organisation
What are you/your organisation currently focusing on in terms of workplace health and wellbeing?
The Health Team is committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of our employees. We do this through initiatives that improve health literacy, reduce physical injury and reduce the impact of mental ill health on an individual and organisational level.
There is a particularly strong focus on mental health at the moment. We are aiming to upskill our employees in Mental Health First Aid while we continue to work towards becoming a mentally healthy workplace.
What aspect of workplace health and wellbeing does your organisation do well in?
We have been commended for our work in rolling out organisation wide initiatives to support the general health of our employees. However more recently, we have focused and excelled in the mental health space.
Our organisation has shown continued support and commitment towards supporting employee mental health. The Health Team is very proud of its continued efforts in shifting employee attitudes and stigma associated with mental health, suicide and starting an R U OK conversation in our organisation.
Currently, there is a growing interest from our employees to learn more about mental ill health and what can be done to support someone experiencing a mental health condition or crisis.
With support from senior leaders we continue to increase mental health literacy across the organisation and we are fortunate to have our executive team not only endorse our programs but genuinely champion them.
What’s your biggest challenge working in workplace health and wellbeing?
Our biggest challenge is access to employees. We work in a 24/7 operational environment which offers limited opportunities to spend face to face time with our frontline employees. This means that we have to be creative with how we reach our audience and how we can tailor certain initiatives to ensure engagement.
How does WayAhead Workplaces add value to your organisation’s health and wellbeing program?
The Team attends the WayAhead Workplaces meetings when possible and agree that this plays a significant contribution to our programs.
It is always a pleasure to hear from Sharon as she shares her passion and ideas on new topics and connections that she has established in the industry. It is also highly beneficial networking with leaders and peers in the field who also attend the meetings.
WayAhead Workplaces has developed a strong network of health professionals who can share ideas freely. Learning about new studies and programs that have been shared through the WayAhead Workplaces network, have certainly contributed to the work that we have produced over the years.
How do you deal with stress?
Our team deals with stress together- we share the load and debrief with each other often so that we can lend a hand whenever necessary.
We aim to always lead by example with stress reducing activities such as lunch time walks, taking time out for ourselves, practicing mindfulness and keeping active.
What are the key issues and considerations for people in workplace health and wellbeing roles?
It is sometimes easy to neglect our own health and wellbeing while we advocate and lead the way for others. At times we can be so devoted in promoting healthy habits for others that we lose sight of investing in our personal health.
We must work towards prioritising our own health so that we can continue to support the health of others.
How do you switch off from work?
We encourage each other to take some time out when possible so that we can enjoy the things that fulfil us outside of work.
For some of us this is spending a day with our children at the park, for others it involves reading a good book, going for a run or listening to our favourite band.
We each have different simple strategies that we use that help us maintain a healthy work life balance.
What is your best time-saving tip?
Use a daily or weekly planner to get the most out of your days. We are all so busy and it is easy to watch time pass by us so quickly. It’s important to schedule time for friends, family, exercise, appointments, commitments etc. By scheduling your commitments you’re more likely to be productive and really maximise your time.
We also use our daily commute to and from work as an opportunity utilise time. Sitting on the train or bus can be a good time to reply to messages, watch an episode on Netflix or finish a chapter in your book. This might help free up some time later in your day.
What do you think the future of work health and wellness programs look like?
We envision that technology and digital health will continue to transform the healthcare industry.
The health tech market is already revolutionising the industry with advancements in digital health care, online platforms, apps using gamification, virtual reality and the likes. These innovations continue to emerge at a rapid pace with a primary focus on wellbeing, prevention and early intervention.
The key to successful health and wellness programs in the future will largely be influenced by the way in which we utilise new technology to support and enhance our initiatives.
